Dart claims to be the world’s smallest laptop charger

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Laptop power adapters haven’t changed much over the years. For the most part, they’re still big, clunky hunks of plastic with lengthy cable tendrils extending out of both ends. Dart is changing all that, cramming a laptop charger into just 2.5 cubic inches of space and claiming the title of World’s smallest.

For comparison’s sake, that’s about the same volume as a roll of quarters. It’s also less than half the Surface 24W travel charger, which is one of the smallest available right now. The diminutive 2.5in³ plug is attached to a six-foot cable. That’s not as long a tether as your OEM adapter might provide, but it’s a heck of a lot less messy. You can cram the Dart into your front pants pocket. Chances are you’re not going to do that with your OEM charger.

Dart also features an integrated USB port, and according to its creators it provides enough current to charge a tablet or smartphone and your laptop at the same time. It’s not only going to take up 75% less space than a standard laptop charger: it’ll also let you leave home with just one charger in your bag for all your devices.

How did thy get the Dart so small? By utilizing very high frequency power conversion technology that’s patented by MIT (where the three founders went to school). Switching cycles inside the Dart happens about 1000x faster than in a standard adapter, which also makes it one of the most efficient and coolest-running chargers around.

There’s really only one major drawback to the Dart charger (other than its retail price tag, for some). It’s only capable of charging devices that require 65W or less. That means it won’t charge a lot of 14, 15, and 17-inch laptops. Dart also puts out 18-21 Volts, so you wont be able to use it with a Microsoft Surface or Chromebook Pixel, either.

Nevertheless, if you’re trying to maximize space in your travel gear — or you just can’t stand the tangled mess of cords that accompanies most laptop adapter bricks — the $119 Dart is definitely a purchase worth considering. If you move fast, you can secure one for $89 on the Kickstarter page and it will arrive this November.